On August 22, 2017, Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai attended the opening ceremony of the meeting of national coordinators of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which was held in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province.

Speaking highly of the fruitful outcomes the SCO has achieved in security, economy, trade and people-to-people and cultural engagement since its establishment 16 years ago, Li Huilai expressed in the speech that the SCO has become an important platform for all member states to jointly safeguard security and stability and to seek development and prosperity, setting a model of the new-type international relations featuring win-win cooperation. As the first SCO rotating presidency since its expansion, China will work with all member states to jointly implement the initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping at the Astana Summit as well as China's work plans as the presidency. We will stay true to our mission, advance with the times, focus on preparing and well hosting the Summit in 2018, and actively promote the SCO's cooperation in such six major fields as politics, security, economy, people-to-people and cultural engagement, external exchanges, and mechanism building for new achievements, so as to better benefit the people of all countries in the region.

The meeting of national coordinators is an important mechanism within the SCO. It is the first meeting held by China after taking over the SCO rotating presidency this June, and also serves as the first meeting of this mechanism attended by representatives of 8 member states after the expansion of the SCO.